Aussie farmers need urgent feed advice

Australian Dairy Farmers says urgent nutritional advice for farmers who can
no longer afford to feed herds is needed in regional
Victoria.

Last week, the group met the federal Minister for Agriculture, Peter
McGauran, in a bid to address declining food stocks and water
availability.

President Allan Burgess says farmers are becoming
increasingly desperate and are running out of options. He says farmers need to
be educated on feeding alternatives such as new fibre programmes and how to
maximise their chances of herd retention.

"In certain circumstances
farmers can reduce the amount of fibre they provide to cows, and that has to be
done in a careful way so that animal health is looked after," he said. "A very
extensive education programme or information programme is therefore desperately
needed."